Charles l



(No Model.) 2- Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. L. SNYDER. STREET GAR.

No. 423,396. Patented Mar. 11, 1890.-

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. L. SNYDER.

STREET GAR.

Patented Mar. 11, 1890.

' NITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES L. SNYDER, OF KANSASCITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAAC M. RIDGE, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,396, dated March 11, 1890.

Application filed April 20, 1889.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. SNYDER, of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and- State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction, of Street-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in the construction of street-cars.

The object is to provide a suitable support for the propelling mechanism and for the main body of the car, whereby the car with its load may be free to turn curves and change grades without cramping, and whereby the disagreeable endwise rocking motion may be avoided and room for passengers economized.

. IVith these ends in View my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinationsof parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of a street-oar embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view, the body of the car above the sills being removed.

A represents the frame-work of the bottom of the car-body. The body of the car above its bottom may be constructed in any wellknown and approved manner, to accommodate the greatest feasible number of passengers and admit of their ready entrance and exit.

The car-body is supported at its front end upon a truck B, preferably a four-wheel truck, as shown, to the middle portion of the frame of which the car-body is swiveled. The connection is conveniently made by a bolt or stud secured to the bottom of the car, which extends down through a socket b in the truck-frame, and rests at its lower end upon a spring-cushion C.

The rear end of the car-body is supported upon the outwardly-projected end d of an axle D, the bottom of the car being provided with journal-boxes e, resting in suitable keepers E, depending from the car, spring-cushions F being inserted between the boxes and the keepers to relieve the jar and jolt of the car.

It will be observed that the car body is superial No. 308,018. (No model.)

ported upon the truck and axle at points near its ends, which effectually prevents the forward and backward pitching motion so common to street-cars.

As a support for the propelling mechanism, I provide a frame consisting of stringers G and across-beam C, the said frame being'pivotally secured at one end on the axle D, and at its opposite end suspended from the bottom of the car by bolts H, the heads of which rest upon spring-cushions h, interposed between them and the bottom of the car. The use to which this auxiliary supportingframe is put is clearly shown in my pending application, Serial No. 308,019, filed April 20, 1889, where the propelling mechanism is shown, described, and claimed.

By the above construction the car is free to turn sharp curves, and the auxiliary supporting-frame yields to any sudden changes in grade without unduly straining the propelling mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street-car, the combination, with a car-body supported at its rear end upon a pair of wheels and swiveled to a truck at its forward end, of a burden-supporting framepivoted at its rear end upon the axle of the pair of body-supporting wheels and extending forward beneath the body of the car and secured to the bottom of the carby bolts havin g a vertically-yieldin g motion, substantially as set forth.

2. In a street-car, the combination, with the carbody, a pair of wheels supporting one end of the body, and a truck to which the opposite end of the body is swiveled, of an auxiliary burden-supporting frame pivoted at one end on the axle of the supporting-wheels and extending beneath the car-body, its opposite end being suspended from the body by bolts which project up through the floor-frame and are provided with springs seated between their heads and the floor, substantially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. SNYDER. Witnesses:

. M. H. BROWN, A. H. NIEss. 

